Do Your Clients Need Travel Insurance for Domestic Trips?

When travelers plan on leaving the country, it is a no-brainer: travel insurance is a necessity. But is it necessary when American travelers plan a trip that takes them coast-to-coast and everywhere in between, without ever crossing an international border?

What exactly makes a “trip” … a trip?

It isn’t as simple as just leaving home. In order to be covered under a travel insurance policy, a traveler must be doing just that – traveling.

Here at RoamRight, we define a “trip” as going to a destination 100 miles or more from your primary residence. That could be a trans-continental trek from Montana to Paris, France, or a roadtrip from San Diego to Oakland (that’s almost 500 miles if you’re wondering). It could even be a short trip from New York City to Rhode Island – as long as your clients are 100 miles away from home.

But why do we only think about travel insurance for international trips?

You really shouldn’t!

It seems that many associate travel insurance with international travel because of the medical coverage. As we have highlighted before, many medical insurance plans do not cover treatment received in foreign countries. In that case, travel insurance makes a lot of sense. You want your clients to be protected in an emergency.

But for many travelers staying within the U.S., their primary medical insurance will cover any emergencies. When this is the case, it’s important to remember that travel insurance covers much more than just medical issues.

In fact, travelers can buy a travel insurance policy without medical coverage if they are certain they are not going to need it on their domestic trip.

So why should you offer it for a domestic trip?

Well, there is the classic trip cancellation or trip delay coverage. If a traveler – or one of their traveling companions – gets sick and cannot take the trip, they could be covered under their policy. There are also other reasons outside illness/injury that can be covered for trip cancellation.

For example, if a flight is delayed for six hours or more, causing travelers to miss pre-paid activities. That could also be covered.

Imagine if you have a traveler that lives in Hawaii and is looking to book a trip to the continental U.S. to visit family. Since they’re not leaving the United States, their primary medical insurance will cover them. However, consider how much the travel will cost. A roundtrip flight for two from Hawaii to California can cost around $1,000 on the low end. Add in the cost of going from California to the state of the traveler’s final destination and the total is definitely an investment worth protecting.

And don’t forget about lost, stolen, or damaged luggage (which can happen no matter if you travel by plane, car, bus, or train).

RoamRight also offers rental car insurance that will cover travelers who rent a car for those 100-plus mile trips away from home

Is it best to offer travel insurance for every trip I help plan?

Absolutely! Not only will it help your travelers remain protected against the unforeseen, but it is also more lucrative for you .

The travel insurance needs for a domestic traveler are a little different than those of an international traveler. But don’t worry – RoamRight is here to help.  Our team of travel insurance experts is here to help you keep all your travelers protected.

RoamRight Partners can log-in to their partner portal for more information.